Tuesday, July 17, 2018

13 Reasons Why there's a Lot to Love about "I Love You, Hater"

Finally, I got to watch Star Cinema's latest movie offering "I Love You, Hater" in the block screenings organized by Tropang Joshua and Team Joshua fan clubs last Sunday at the Fisher Mall. I got similar invites from other fan groups but I was not able to attend as it conflicts with my class schedule. I will have another chance to watch it later tonight organized by Spark It PH and I'm having no second thoughts of watching it again as I truly enjoyed the movie experience.

The movie has the heart that made me fell in love to it. We have witnessed the good films that the team up of Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto have starred on and we've been drawn to the charisma of Kris Aquino a lot of times, this movie is no different when it comes to the quality but it provided us characters that we will surely love. Let me share to you the 15 reasons that makes me watch the film more than once.

1. Kris Aquino. She was playing herself, the one we dearly love for her flamboyance and honesty. I think this film is a great comeback movie for her as it gives us a glimpse of her current life as the Digital Queen who built a business empire herself. She is a character herself that's unique but relatable.

2. Joshua Garcia. When we speak about consistency in quality but diverse in characterization, then he perfectly fits that description. I've been very vocal of my fondness to this actor since PBB days and I made no mistake in cheering for him in every endeavor he's in. He's been a reliable actor with a clear portrayal of the heart of the character he's into. His portrayal of faking a gay character was funny but not disrespectful.

3. Julia Barretto. She nailed the character of Zoey with perfection. This is her best that already made a mark to the audience. She showed versatility as needed and she opened her heart with no restrictions. She was mature but sensitive. She was funny but discerning.

4. Director Giselle Andres. She left me with good impression on her film Loving In Tandem and on her latest flick, she did not disappoint. She shared a story that need to be told and it was done vivaciously. It was indeed a labor of love and it shows.

5. JoshLia. Theirs is a loveteam that you would always invest on with a good story as they will surely deliver. They're new with their team-up (barely 2 years old) yet they have provided us with memorable movies that will be remembered by the current generation. Sa true lang, binonggahan nila sa pelikulang ito. They did not shortchange their performance just because this is a romcom but they committed a performance that's worth future recognition in award-giving bodies.

6. The memorable elevator scene. For me, this is the highlight of Julia's acting career as she nailed it with so much honesty and vulnerability. The shifting of her emotions was on point. Literal na napa-nganga ako sa galing niya sa eksenang ito. Joshua was also generous enough to give the scene to Julia for her to truly shine.

7. Storyline. It's familiar but still engaging. There's no excuse to be dishonest no matter how good the intention is as there will always be negative consequences. We hate people because of what they did but we can we eventually love them when we try to understand the circumstances they're in.

8. Focus on father's love. Stories showcasing mother's love is always dear to me. But this film deviate from that and has put the love of a father as one of its side stories. I will always cherish the scene of Ronaldo Valdez and Kris Aquino. It was heartfelt and with authentic emotions clearly shown throughout. I think that scene defined Kris as an actress and recognizing her for that is not far-fetched. Al Tantay and Joshua also shared worth remembering.

9. A story with different perspectives. "Kapag ang buhay ay magulo, check mo sa ibang anggulo." The film highlighted that we should not judge someone at face value but also take into consideration the reasons behind. This will not excuse a mistake but at least it will make us compassionate and gracious.

10. A dose of heartfelt laughter. I laughed because of the choices made by the characters but it was more of laughing because I can identify to it. Julia was surprisingly good with her comic antics. She was so adorable. Kris was her charming self with comic punchlines that she can only pull through.

11. The theme song was perfect. "Gusto Ko Lamang Sa Buhay" as sang by Unit 406 perfectly complimented the film. I love its arrangement especially the one that decorated the last scene of the movie.

12. The tears are worth it. I had a good cry watching the movie. You'll see the main characters cry a lot and it did not come to waste. The memorable ones for me were from Kris when he hugged his father, Julia when she saw her father at a wedding, and Joshua when he returned home to his father.

13. This is not an LGBT movie but a film on respect for one's dignity. Initially, I thought it will focus on LGBT but it goes beyond that. Forgiveness and honesty can restore someone's dignity. Something that you do not only give to others but a worthy gift you can give to yourself.